Inside a cottage with flames all around, there was a young girl shown to be kneeling beside a man who seemed to had fallen over due to the wood burning and she was crying for him. "Daddy..." she said softly and worriedly.
Thor soon kicked the door open and rushed inside before seeing the girl and picked her up and gently held her out to Cherry and Mo, though Mo took a hold of the crying girl before Atticus helped out the man who had fallen down and seemed to be knocked out. The girl sniffled before looking over and reached out for the man before she buried her face against Mo while crying.
"It's okay," Mo softly told the girl. "The boys will help your father."
"I wouldn't worry about it too much," Cherry shrugged. "We'll even help put this fire out."
"Yeah." Mo nodded while soothing the girl.
"Don't worry, sir. We're here to help." Thor told the man.
"Who are you?" The man asked hoarsely as he was being put to lie down on the ground.
"A friend of Prince Derek and Princess Odette," Atticus replied calmly. "Don't worry. We'll get you to the castle."
"Take care... Of Alise..." The man grunted, sounding like he was dying.
"Who's Alise?" Thor wondered.
"That must be the girl we saved." Atticus guessed.
The man soon reached out and took Atticus's collar in his hand suddenly. "Promise me... You'll help give her... Peace." he then said as strongly as he could while the girl stood with Cherry and Mo, looking very scared and worried.
"Yes, of course." Atticus nodded.
"We promise." Thor added as he also nodded.
"Can we save him?" Atticus asked Thor.
"I don't know, but I'm worried." Thor said worriedly and in concern.
Alise's father smiled wearily before he soon closed his eyes and he seemed to do that one last time as he laid on the ground. Atticus and Thor looked at each other before bowing their heads as they had witnessed that.
"Daddy? ...Daddy." Alise weakly called before she realized her father had died and she buried her face in Mo's shirt as she began to cry.
"Oh... We're so sorry..." Mo said softly as she hugged poor Alise who suddenly became an orphan.
"What do we do?" Thor whispered to the others.
"We keep our promise." Atticus whispered back.
"Yeah, but how?" Cherry whispered.
"Maybe we can ask Derek and Odette to adopt her," Mo whispered. "Plus this way Queen Uberta gets a granddaughter early without her pulling any tricks to try and get Odette and Derek to give her grandchildren."
"You really think she would do that?" Thor asked.
"I think I happen to know for a fact that she would," Cherry rolled her eyes. "Probably fake being on her deathbed just to get grandchildren from Derek and Odette," she then looked at Alise. "You're coming with us."
"Oh? W-Where are we going?" Alise asked worriedly.
"Just trust us," Cherry told her. "Come along now."
Alise trembled before she then came over and Cherry helped her up onto her horse with Thor before they got back on it to go and meet up with Derek again as Atticus and Mo did the same with their own horse, but not before they put the fire out as best as they could.
"Guys, I'm picking up that bad scent again!" Tyke spoke up once they got ready to leave the remains of the burned-down cottage.
"Me and Tyke will handle him and most likely Derek will be on his tail." Patch said.
"We'll meet you both there." Mo told him.
"All right!" Thor called out. "And... BREAK!" he then called out like a football quarterback.
Cherry rolled her eyes at that, shaking her head, before they soon went away in different directions again.
The man from before was soon shown starting to get several crossbows ready, unaware that he was about to get some company. He looked around as he seemed to be alone and the coast was clear before he went to hide behind one of the trees and picked up a rope, getting ready to pull it for when the right time would come.
Puffin continued to fly through the sky before gasping once he noticed the crossbow arrows. "No one hurts the prince! Not while Puffin's around!" he then chuckled to himself before dive-bombing right for the man to stop him with his plan.
The man soon saw Puffin dive-bombing down towards him before he swatted the bird to a nearby tree before Puffin slid down to the ground with a groan.
Derek soon made his horse stop before seeing the man's bow before getting off his horse to get closer as he got ready to pull out an arrow and got ready to fire it only to see it was actually Jean-Bob he grabbed. "Jean-Bob? What are you doing?" The prince then asked the frog.
"Oh, nothing. Just stretching my legs." Jean-Bob smiled nervously.
"Better take cover." Derek suggested.
Jean-Bob nodded before going to hide in Derek's quiver before he would be launched with the bow like an arrow. Derek then took out an arrow and readied it before he started to tiptoe through the woods to go after the man that they were looking for. He then nearly stumbled against another bow that was on the ground before he heard something behind him and quickly turned around. The crossbow arrows were then shown, all ready to go off at once before the man hiding behind the trees pulled the rope to make them all shoot off at once to hit Derek. Jean-Bob gasped and panicked, but Derek was quickly swift enough to spin himself around and quickly caught all of the arrows at once before any one of them could hit him and soon, the frog seemed to pass out from all of the excitement. The man hiding behind the trees soon growled in frustration as he was defeated before he stormed off before Derek could even see him.
Derek was about to shoot his next arrow at the man that tried to kill him before he heard Puffin's groan as he saw him by a tree. "Puffin!" he then gasped as he went over to the fallen bird as he tried to gently pick him up.
"Oh! Ow! Ow! Careful, Derek!" Puffin warned once he came into the prince's arms. "He pinned me into the tree! Sprained my tail... Ooh, I won't be flying for a while... I can tell ya that much."
"I'll get you home, Puffin," Derek said as he held Puffin in his arms before walking away from the trees with the bird, safely and gently. "Why would someone hurt the animals?"
"I'll tell ya why: to lure the prince into a trap!" Puffin suggested.
Derek looked curious as he suddenly thought about that before looking back down at the bird. "Don't tell anyone, Puffin, especially Odette," he then began to tell the bird. "I-I don't want her to worry."
"Don't tell Odette what?" Tyke asked as he rushed by hopefully with a small smile.
"Tyke..." Derek sighed at the bulldog pup.
"Come on. I wanna know." Tyke smiled.
"Oh, nothing." Puffin replied.
"What's going on? Did you stop the guy that started the fire?" Patch asked as he rushed over before seeing Puffin injured. "Puffin, are you alright?"
"It's complicated," Puffin replied about the man who had started the fire. "I am fine, but hunters have to do better if they wanna take ME down."
"Yeah, I'm sure." Patch said, rolling his eyes slightly, though he was relieved that Puffin wasn't terribly hurt.
"Please, don't any of you tell Odette, I don't want her to worry." Derek then urged the dogs and puffin.
"Me beak is sealed." Puffin reassured before he pinched his beak shut with his feathery fingertips.
Derek nodded as he then walked off with them to share something deep and rather secretive.
Meanwhile, the villagers were helping put out the fires with some extra help from the kingdom so the flames wouldn't spread and burn them all to their untimely deaths, unlike and unfortunately Alise's father as they waved the tarps around to help douse the fire.
"Thank you. We're awful lucky to have a princess like you, Madam." One villager said to Odette, smiling in gratitude.
"I'm the one who's lucky." Odette smiled before she gave a soup ladle to another villager who passed by her cart.
"You're an angel." The second villager then said as he accepted the water ladle from her and took a sip.
"That's why I married you." Derek's voice told Odette.
Odette soon looked over to see Derek arrive on his horse with Patch.
"You're so good, Odette. You're so kind." Derek said.
"That was an interesting way to spend our anniversary." Odette said as she gave him a ladle of water.
"Guess it'll be one to remember." Patch said with a light chuckle, trying to humor Odette and Derek a little bit.
"Very funny, Patch." Odette smiled, a bit amused.
"Yeah..." Derek added as he took a drink of the water before quickly coughing and spitting right back out. "Today's our anniversary?!" he then asked once he realized that.
"Uh-oh," Patch whispered to himself. "This won't end well... I still remember what happened during Roger and Anita's infamous anniversary trouble."
"Well, yesterday... By now." Odette reminded her husband.
"Odette, I'm so sorry." Derek replied.
"Well, you have been busy." Odette said as Patch nodded.
"Well, yeah, but that's no excuse," Derek frowned before facing Odette. "Do you hate me?"
"No, I don't hate you," Odette smiled calmly. "But Derek, I-"
"I'm gonna do better, Odette... I promise," Derek said as he hugged his wife and gently stroked her hair. "From now on, you come first. Everything else will just have to wait."
"I'll have to remember to use that if I ever get in an argument with Collette someday." Patch said to himself.
Derek then gently carried Odette in his arms and put her to the front of their carriage as he got ready to take the horse's reigns.
"I can see why I married you," Odette smiled warmly. "You're so good at saying you're wrong."
Derek smiled back softly before getting ready to go back home with her.
"Wait! Wait!" Cherry's voice called out as she and the others had come over with someone extra. "Room in the front for one more?" she then asked.
"Who's this?" Odette asked as she the extra someone.
"This is Alise," Mo introduced. "And she needs a family to look after her."
"A family, huh?" Derek asked. "Well, there's an orphanage not too far away from here that my family usually visits every Christmas. Maybe she could stay there?" he then began to suggest.
Atticus, Cherry, Mo, and Thor then suddenly looked a little upset that Derek suggested that suddenly.
"Derek... I think Alise should stay for the night at least." Odette said to her husband.
Derek looked over before looking down at Alise. "...Maybe that's for the best then," he then said. "We'll see about the orphanage tomorrow then."
"Or longer." Odette then whispered to herself.
They all soon left as Alise sat between Derek and Odette and they all held onto each other on the way back to the castle after the fires had been put out.
Meanwhile, Jackson and Vicky came out of the bushes just as they left.
"They put out the fire." Vicky complained.
"Don't worry... It's not our fault they were victorious that time," Jackson smirked. "I wanted to take my frustration out on that one man who lost his child overnight after losing with Rothbart on our last adventure, but there's always a new one with an opportunity, especially with Clavius."
"Yeah, that's true." Vicky nodded.
"And where the man he sent should be coming back to Clavius with his target or empty-handed." Jackson replied.
"He couldn't possibly be successful right away," Vicky said. "We saw how fast his reflexes are from the last adventure."
"Sometimes ya gotta take some risks, even if it involves annoying good luck from the good people," Jackson rolled his eyes before smirking. "But sometimes it's worth it just to see the trouble and pain they have to go through when you're above them."
"I suppose that's true," Vicky smirked back before rolling her eyes. "I have no idea how the twerp always bested me whenever I'd babysit him before those annoying people Atticus and Cherry showed up. I even had his cousin in my babysitting trap when I first started working for The Turners until her parents were somehow smarter than his about not letting her visit him anymore because I started babysitting and she stayed with her other aunt with those annoying dogs."
"Believe me, I know all about those annoying dogs." Jackson narrowed his eyes as they went to go to a certain meeting place.
There was also the man there who had started the fire in the first place who was going to be in their company as well before they soon met him inside of what was known as a gondola lift.
"Don't look down, Muscles, it's a long way down." Jackson smirked.
"...My name is Knuckles." The man said to him.
"Whatever," Jackson replied. "The point is that we're going with you."
"Yep." Vicky nodded.
"I hope he won't be too angry with me." Knuckles said.
"Oh, why? Did you fail to kill Prince Derek?" Jackson smirked.
"Yes." Knuckles muttered.
"Called it." Vicky replied.
"Don't rub it in." Knuckles pouted.
"Sorry, it's what I do," Vicky smirked. "You can just ask my old friends down at B.R.A.T."
"Clavius won't be happy." Jackson said.
"I know." Knuckles pouted.
While they were making their way to Clavius's hide-out, the evil wizard was seen waiting for Knuckles to return with good news about Derek's death. "Here he comes," the man grinned darkly at himself with anticipation before turning behind his back as he picked up a knife. "Ah, well... Too bad you didn't live to see this day, partner of mine!" he then added before tossing the knife out.
The knife went flying before it then hit a portrait, more specifically, one of Rothbart and Clavius posing together and the blade hit Rothbart's forehead instantly.
"We could've shared it all, but nooo... You had to betray me," Clavius began to mock his former friend before he took out a pin. "We conquered The Forbidden Arts together and then you drove me underground!" he then put the pin in his mouth before spitting it right back out to stab Rothbart's arm in the portrait. "You thought you were real smart, didn't you? Until you met Prince Derek and a few outsiders from the kingdom..." he then added before he took out an axe next and poked at it a little before tossing it to hit Rothbart's other shoulder. "But today... Today, Derek met his man: me! And now that he's out of the way, I'll get back our old castle and gift The Forbidden Arts proving that I was always the greater man!" he then added as he sharpened a couple of darts before tossing them out to hit Rothbart's head as he concluded his evil monologue with an evil cackle.
Soon, Knuckles, Jackson, and Vicky arrived in the gondola lift to see the evil wizard they were planning to meet.
"Hurry up, Knuckles! Today, we conquer the world!" Clavius proclaimed before laughing wickedly.
"Should I break the news to him or should you?" Jackson smirked at Knuckles.
"I'll tell him." Knuckles sighed.
"Tell me what?" Clavius asked.
"Well... Well, it..." Knuckles began to stammer.
"Well, it what?" Clavius demanded impatiently. "WHAT?!"
"I-I-It didn't work," Knuckles began to confess nervously. "He beat the trap."
"He didn't beat the trap! Nobody beats a Clavius trap!" Clavius snarled. "YOU didn't set it right, nitwit!" he then added before slapping his henchman down. "If you don't finish off Derek, I can't get into his castle and get The Forbidden Arts! Capice?"
"Ooh, I like this guy's style." Vicky smirked and chuckled.
"And just who are you two supposed to be?" Clavius then asked Vicky and Jackson. "I don't give to charities for orphans or whatever you're here for."
"Charities to orphans? Blech!" Vicky grimaced. "We'd sooner burn down orphanages than give to them!"
"Let's just say we happen to know a bit about your old pal Rothbart." Jackson explained with a small smirk.
"If you knew him then I suppose you two could be of some use." Clavius said.
"We'll help you handle the outsiders." Vicky smirked.
"Hmm... Sounds promising." Clavius smirked back.
"Oh, trust me... This is going to be an interesting experience." Jackson reassured.
"You see how easy it is, Knuckles? If two children can do it." Clavius told his sidekick.
Knuckles merely pouted as he didn't like how he was being treated, but put up with it anyway. "Derek's been living in the palace for a whole year! He probably found it all anyhow." he then said, referring to The Forbidden Arts.
"No, no, no, NO!" Clavius shook his head firmly. "He'll never find The Forbidden Arts. You and I are the only ones who knew where they were," he then glared at his portrait of him with Rothbart before storming up to it. "Now don't you look at me like that. I will get The Forbidden Arts, I will throw my greatness, and I will destroy Derek! The boy you were too weak to defeat!" he then laughed wickedly before slamming the portrait down from the wall and stabbed it through a sharp rock, destroying it instantly, but mostly Rothbart's image beside him.
"And you won't be alone," Jackson told Clavius. "We have our own victims to cater to."
"You got that right." Vicky nodded.
"Be sure you two get rid of those outsiders." Clavius told Jackson and Vicky.
"Oh, we sure will." Jackson smirked.
"You better believe it." Vicky nodded.
Clavius just grinned as he cackled wickedly. Vicky and Jackson then smirked as this looked like the start of something amazing and new, but if not, there were always the back-up plans.